[barbarella]

How does everyone tackle their winter weeding?  I have always enjoyed getting down on my knees and weeding by hand (while listening to my iPod) , but this year about half my plot has become infested with grass - I blame all the rain

While it is quite easy to dig up individual weeds, it is really difficult with grass because there is so much soil sticking to the roots.  I put most of my weeds out for the green waste collection to avoid the compost bin becoming infested with weed seeds but if I put all the grass in I will end up getting rid of a ton of soil as well! 

If I just just fork and dig over the grass infested bits will that do the trick or will the grass come back twice as bad next year?  Or if I cover it with weed suppressant fabric or plastic will that do the trick? 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[ptarmigan]

Hi

The rain has made the grass lovely if nothing else on my plot...

I tried a few things with grass infested beds - like you I didn't want to lose the precious soil.

One area - laid down cardboard, manure, compost etc on top of the grass in a lasanga bed, 1 year on that has worked really well - with nice crumbly soil. Very easy.

More work involved - dug up the grass, got as much soil off as possible, then put grass clods and attached earth into compost bags to rot down (there was some couch in there) - a year later - bags are full of mud and worms ready to be put back on plot.

Same amount of work - dug up 'turf' where putting raised bed and stacked upside down to rot down. The theory was it would rot down into a lovely loam - didn't really work that way for me - the grass carried on growing and now I've got a grass mound where I before just had grass.   Looks a bit like an iron age settlement.

As for covering with ws fabric or plastic - haven't tried that.

Good luck.

[mumofstig]

If it's just grass (not couch) then dig and turn the clods upside down.
Deprived of light until, spring the grass will die

[DD.]

That's exactly what I do - simples!

[barbarella]

Thanks for great advice - I will dig it over in the next few days and then cover with compost and wait for the frost and the worms to do their work.    There is a bit of couch in one corner so I will dig up as much of the root as I can - so far I have managed to keep it under control that way but can never get rid of it.  

[Yorkie]

If the soil is sticking to your boots or the roots, best to keep off until it's dried out a bit.

The grass won't grow a lot over winter and you can tackle it in the spring if need be.

[Growster...]

Couch isn't the deathknell, but it can hurt your veg if in large swathes which haven't been tended.

I actually take huge enjoyment from finding a 'lurk' of couch, and hoiking it out pronto!

Mind you, we took ages getting it all out in the first place, but that's life!

[compostqueen]

It's great isn't it, finding the couch and lifting it ever, ever so gently as if diffusing a bomb, which any minute will detonate and blow you to kingdom come.  The satisfaction of following the rhizome to its end and then yanking it out with relish and then sizzling it on a fire, cackling with glee

I don't get out much 

I used to not like weeding, but now I do as it gives me the opportunity to empty my head (doesn't take long) and just mindlessly stick to the task. I keep the work behind me so I don't get disheartened    I get up every 10 minutes to stretch my legs. 

[Growster...]

CQ, you describe the great feeling of success from weeding, admirably!

Even thistles groan when they get the Growster 'pull', because they're numbered from then on!

Nice description that - thank you!

[angelavdavis]

Same amount of work - dug up 'turf' where putting raised bed and stacked upside down to rot down. The theory was it would rot down into a lovely loam - didn't really work that way for me - the grass carried on growing and now I've got a grass mound where I before just had grass.   Looks a bit like an iron age settlement.

I am also a fan of "lasagne" type treatment using cardboard and compost layers.  I think where you went wrong with this process was to not cover with plastic or weed suppressant of some sort.  It isn't often mentioned and I have made the same mistake as yourself, but it is essential.